I found this video on Youtube and was inspired to share.

There are any number of exercises that a person can do to begin getting into shape and strengthening their heart, but walking is one of the easiest and offers a great deal of benefit. After the birth of my second child, I hit the baby blues. I had gained sixty pounds and she was under six. Do the math.

I had never been overweight in my life and what was worse, I was unmotivated. My husbands incessant asking about my workout did not help to motivate me, in fact because I was such an emotional wreck, it just served as a developmental tool for my insecurity. He was a fitness trainer with gobs of knowledge about the physiology of the human form. He knew that getting blood circulating through the body was an important factor in overcoming even emotional conditions. I just grew more and more convinced he found me disgusting. On a rare day, I found myself out and about with my mom. At a local drug store I found a series of videos called “Walk Away the Pounds” by Leslie Sansone. They were on super sale and for some reason I bought them. I had been a dancer and stayed in relatively good shape but now I was too embarrassed to go to the gym or class. These videos were perfect. They were so easy that I was victorious in completeting the entire first video my first try. VICTORY is an important word in ANY health plan. The first walk lasted maybe 10 minutes but the FEELING of victory was exactly what I needed to get on the road to recovery.

When my good friend noticed that I was beginning to feel better, she said “Oh Angel! It’s so good that you were able to get your Qi moving!” What is Qi? Qi is the life-force or energy in the world. The fundamental insight of qigong and Chinese Medicine is that balanced and free-flowing qi results in health; while stagnant or imbalanced qi leads to disease. In China, the understanding of qi is inherent in the very language. For instance: The literal translation of the Chinese character meaning “health” is “original qi.” The literal translation of the character for “vitality” is “high quality qi.” The literal translation of the character meaning “friendly” is “peaceful qi.” Oh yes, my Qi moved and for me walking was not only energizing it was therapeutic.

Walking is:
An activity that almost anyone can do regardless of age or size.
One of the best ways to begin an exercise plan.
Can be done alone or as a group. Many communities have organized walks through their parks or nature preserves.
An activity with low risk of injury  comfortable, supportive athletic shoes are worn and don’t overdo it.

I eventually went on to begin taking longer and longer walks. I discovered walking outside with friends and encouraging their health and weight loss as well. I walked with my stroller through my second child’s toddler years and then through my third pregnancy. I still walk. The most important thing for me was, that I got started.

This week, calculate the amount of walking you do. What state of being are you in? Are you rushing to catch a bus for work? Leisurely strolling? Not walking at all? Do an assessment set an intention to up your walking game.